Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Paris mayor swims in Seine River before Olympics
The mayor of Paris swam in the Seine River to show the public that the river, which is notorious for being polluted, is now clean enough for Olympic swimming competitions.
The mayor, Anne Hidalgo, said the water is very, very good, a little cool, but not so bad.
AP News explained that swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century due to pollution but city officials have invested $1.5 billion since 2015 to clean up the river prior to the 2024 Olympics, which has its opening ceremonies only nine days away.
Swimming competitions in the Seine include triathlons and marathon swimming.
Water quality tests in June showed unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria but there have been recent improvements. Source: https://apnews.com/article/paris-olympics-river-seine-swim-clean-pollution-b1e7330d778babc070bc7348a8c998f3
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Six poisoned with cyanide in possible murder-suicide
On Tuesday at a luxury hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, six deceased bodies were found in a large hotel room/suite. They were American-Vietnamese citizens and Vietnamese nationals.
Police and investigators said they discovered traces of cyanide among food that was delivered to the room the day prior and believe that they were poisoned to death over a bad investment.
The victims include a married couple and two others who invested large sums of money to build a hospital in Japan.
Police suggested that the suspect is one of the six people — that person may have committed a murder-suicide.
The U.S. State Department said it would monitor the situation and communicate with Thai authorities.
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Singer admits she was drunk during national anthem
Singer Ingrid Andress admitted that she was drunk when she performed the national anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night. She said she would check herself into a medical facility and get the help she needed.
I can't hear, but many people on social media said it was a bad performance.
Andress is a successful singer who has been nominated for the Grammys four times. She said it was "not" her on Monday night and that she apologizes for it.
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Biden gives speech at NAACP Convention
President Joe Biden gave a speech at the NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas last night. It was his first major speech since the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Biden said he is grateful that Trump was not seriously injured. He said that our politics has gotten too heated but it doesn't mean you should stop telling the truth.
Biden lamented that gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in the U.S.
Biden said his administration has supported the Black community which has led to historic low Black unemployment. He said Trump is lying like hell whenever he talks about this topic.
Biden said his Vice President Kamala Harris is great and could be the president of the U.S.
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Mirage in Las Vegas closing after 34 years
The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is closing today after 34 years in operation. The hotel will undergo a three-year renovation and be completely changed to become the Hard Rock Las Vegas in 2027.
The Mirage was famous for having a volcano -- it will be destroyed to make space for new rooms. There will be a new 700-foot-tall hotel tower in the shape of a guitar.
The Mirage was opened in 1989 by famed hotel and casino builder Steve Wynn. It was also famous for hosting the Siegfried and Roy's white tigers show.
It’s the end of an era in that area of Las Vegas.
Source: https://www.wral.com/story/the-iconic-mirage-in-las-vegas-is-closing-today-after-34-years/21529350/